Boating enthusiasts have long been plagued with handling and ride problems associated with high speed boat performance. Although most vehicles in the pleasure and speed boat categories are vulnerable to such performance factors, outboard motor boats are particularly notorious in their tendency to assume an extremely high angle of attack, or bow-up attitude, when in relatively high speed operation. The dangers inherent in this operational attitude are obvious. Since most of the weight, usually including the boat operator, is located in the stern of the boat the raised bow blocks a major portion of the operator's view. The resultant dangers to other people or boats so unfortunate as to be in this blind spot, additional to the danger to which the boat operator and passengers are subjected, are of great concern. Indeed, many deaths and serious injuries have resulted from this deficiency in modern day boating practice. These conditions are further exaggerated when water skiers are being towed by the boat.
Some boat operators place passengers, cargo or other weighty items in the forward end of the boat in an effort to overcome this problem, forcing the nose downward by sheer weight. Many others take the rather drastic countermeasure of utilizing ballast in the forward ends of their boats. The result is a sluggish boat operation and a loss of operating efficiency due to the necessity to carry such excess weight.
Another difficulty encountered almost universally is the tendency of the boats to "gallop" or "porpoise" during medium to high speed operation. That is, the nose of the boat, in a high acceleration action, moves rapidly upward to its maximum height then downward, the hull slapping the water surface with great force and again bouncing to the upward position. This happens continuously and results in great discomfort to the boat passengers, especially those seated toward the bow. Many passengers suffer seasickness as a direct result of this undesirable boating characteristic.
The noted porpoising action of the boat, itself a condition of instability, induces and catalyzes additional instability into the boat operation, immeasurably increasing the operators boat-handling problems.
It will be recognized that when a boat is operating in the aforedescribed high angle of attack or is tending to porpoise, one of the primary inducing factors is that the stern is being forced downward to a greater depth in the water. This makes a most uncomfortable ride for the passengers. When rough water or wakes are encountered the speed of the boat must be decreased for the comfort and safety of the passengers, and to keep the cargo from being thrown about. Although the stern is the most comfortable place to ride under such conditions, the passengers cannot take advantage of it since to do so would place extra weight in the stern and prevent the boat from reaching a planing attitude. Such an operational attitude also greatly increases the power required to overcome the boat-to-water friction and to move aside a great volume of water in facilitating passage of the boat therethrough. Hence, a significant portion of the power available from the motor is wasted, useful work potential being lost in overcoming this undesirable condition. This condition is sometimes detectable by the appearance of a "rooster-tail" of water behind the boat. This is a sign that the propeller is oriented with its center line of thrust at a rather severe acute angle in relation to the water surface. The result is a considerable loss of power and operational efficiency.
This loss of functional horsepower has the further detrimental result of decreasing the boat's operating speed and increasing its fuel consumption.
It is desirable that the boat reach a "planing" mode as rapidly as possible after getting under way, thereby increasing its speed more rapidly, improving the riding quality of the boat and decreasing fuel consumption by permitting the motor to be throttled back while nevertheless effectively maintaining a good planing condition. Due to the difficulties enumerated above it has often been difficult in conventional boating activities to plane out, not to mention the improbability of maintaining the plane once it is achieved, particularly during turning maneuvers. Factually, when a boat is burdened with a relatively heavy load it is often found that planing can never be achieved.
In cases such as this the operator usually resorts to the use of excessive horsepower, the result being a considerable expenditure for a larger motor and greater fuel consumption. The use of higher horsepower motors to overcome planing deficiencies can then be expected to provide a problem is slowing the boat sufficient for troll-fishing and a greater tendency to propoise or gallop.
Many operators of ski and pleasure boats incur the additional expense of installing plates to the lower corners of the transom, such plates being variously referred to as boat lifters, levelers or cavitation plates. They are forced downward into the water, acting as wedges against the water and lifting the stern of the boat. While some such plates are fixed in specific positions, others are moved by means such as hydraulic acturators, electric motors and hand operated mechanisms into the desired positions. The obvious detriments in using such exaggerated fixes are increased drag, a demand for higher R.P.M. and more fuel. Again, in this instance, the aforementioned rooster tail often appears. The law of conservation of energy makes it apparent that power equal to that required to produce the rooster tail is being exerted against the water. Since the rooster tail provides no useful work input, the power waste is immediately apparent.
Additional to the problems and dangers encountered as a result of the noted semi-blind operation, the porpoising and general instability of prior art boats, the presence of wind and rough water or large wake conditions often result in greatly increased dangers, boats sometimes being caused to flip. This usually results when the boat, in an extremely high angle of attack encounters a wave, a wake, or a strong wind, or the bow is hit by a wind gust. Any one of these conditions can cause the bow to move upward more rapidly than usual. When such conditions assume severe proportions, the tendency is for the bow of boat to raise so high and so rapidly that the boat does a complete flip or coil, coming to rest upside down. This condition, which is often encountered, particularly in high speed boat racing activities, is hazardous in the extreme to the operator and passengers, numerous injuries and deaths having resulted from such incidents.
Boat builders and boaters alike have sought in vain for a solution to the foregoing problems.